We might not be quite like some of our continental cousins who traditionally spend most of the month of August sunning themselves on a beach (lucky people), nevertheless chances are you have spent some of the last month away from your desk and your computer.

And even though things have certainly been quieter in the media, content and technology worlds in August there have been a few key announcements that might have passed you by. So here are five things that you may have missed.

1. Snapchat is targeting brands

Yes the image messaging service, which many wrote off as a novelty, has really hit mainstream this summer with its users sending over 700 million pictures and videos each day. And now it is targeting brands and encouraging them to use the platform to come up with interesting and innovative campaigns. There’s more on their approach here and you can see the deck that they are sending to companies here.

2. The smartwatch is coming of age

There are still plenty of rumours about Apple and its proposed iWatch/iTime which may or may not be launching in September. As ever the gauntlet has been thrown down to the American corporation by its Korean rival Samsung. This week it unveiled the Samsung Gear S smartwatch which basically does everything you’d expect from a smartwatch, allows you to make and receive calls, send and read messages, emails and social media updates and more. The big difference is that the Gear S is the first stylish smartwatch that includes 3G, so you can use it instead of your phone. Up until now most smartwatches have needed to be connected by Bluetooth to a nearby mobile. The interesting part for content marketers is that if 3G/4G watches catch on they could change the way that people consume content on the go. They might even lead to consumers not using smartphones but just relying on the device on their wrist.

3. Instagram has unveiled a very impressive new feature Hyperlapse

The company, which is owned by Facebook, this week unveiled a new app which enables users to seriously improve the quality of the video they shoot by making it look like the type of tracking shots so beloved of Hollywood producers. It is a massive leap forward for video from the company and has already piqued the interest of social media savvy brands.

4. Facebook has got tough with click-baiting headlines

In what may be a key moment for some media companies Facebook has decided to get tough with click baiting headlines. The company says it want to ensure that the stories that are presented to its followers are the ones they want to read. So images with headlines of the ‘you won’t believe what happened next’ are likely to penalised by the company. It will be fascinating to see how this impacts on companies like BuzzFeed and Upworthy which have built up media empires off the back of such stories. It once again underlines how tricky a place Facebook is becoming for media companies and branded content content providers - unless of course they are prepared to pay.

5. Apple has a new iPhone coming

Yep the company has confirmed that it has a press event on September 9th where it is very likely to introduce the iPhone 6. The phone will potentially come in two different sizes with one phone boasting a large 5.5inch screen. There is a look at the implications for the content marketing industry of this launch here.